Why to Read Books
Nader once told me that the problem with Capitol Hill is that few people there actually know how to think. Why is that? Because they don't read books. "If you don't read books you can't think."
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) August 14, 2020
Everyone should read books. Good books. Timeless books. Books that are well-written, well-researched, and well-edited. Where the writer is an expert or has become a respected authority.
People talk about reading books, but I'm convinced few actually do. I used to read fewer books because I had fewer distractions (we'll get to that).
People often ask me the standard question: So, what do you do outside of work? Like, you know, for fun?
And I’d try to reply honestly: I read a lot and then often write about it. The reply would be: Groan. What do you really do? That’s a cop-out.
And it’s like, no, that’s actually what I do! Being serious about reading takes copious time and focus. It's the single largest use of my time of 'what I do outside of work'.
Don't read book summaries and expect to retain anything.
Their purpose is to help you decide whether to invest your time and money in reading a book.
Here is my book list. It's called My Younger Self. I’ve read every book on this list in the last two years. In each case, I own the book, underline it, and recommend it. I usually have notes on these books, and those notes are generally a series of quotes that I've hand-typed and copied from the physical book.
There are many people out there on the Internet who hawk book summaries or tweet threads. They say, 'Put the ideas in your own words' and outline the arguments. No, I don't think so.
If it's a well-written book, summarizing it in your own words is often an exercise in repeating the argument more confusingly or omitting something important. If you are going to write something, write a reaction. Write about what you will do differently from what you learned from the book. Write about the connection you made between something in the book and something you experienced within the last couple of months. Write about why it's important.
Read books for a purpose for yourself.
What are you trying to achieve? How is that book/author going to help? Maybe you want to be transported to a new reality through fiction. That's great, too.
Many book recommendation lists tell you more about the recommender than what’s best for you. Particularly lists of senior people with fancy titles. These lists are most likely what they want to be seen reading. It’s not a book club. It’s content marketing material.
That's why my book list is called My Younger Self—it is a list of books that helped me. If you think there are areas of my life and experience that can help you, this list is great! If not, maybe it isn't.